I won’t fall into trap, says Tee Keat

(NST) – MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat vowed not to be used by unscrupulous people bent on creating chaos.

He said he would not allow himself to fall into the trap set by those who wanted to use him to pit "a particular community against certain national leaders".

"My main priority now is to win back the people's support for Barisan Nasional come the next general election.

"Such support will not come just because we dish out election goodies at the eleventh hour, but rather it involves the long process of winning back the people's confidence and goodwill," he said in his blog.

He was responding to DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang's blog posting where he had ticked off Ong and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin over the latter's alleged statement that the Chinese were ungrateful.

Muhyiddin had since clarified that he was misquoted by the Chinese newspapers.

Ong said everyone was entitled to their own views. He said he agreed Muhyiddin had a right to speak his mind on why he thought BN lost in the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau by-elections.

"That doesn't mean that I agree with his statement that the Chinese are ungrateful.

"To me, it is BN's obligation to help the people, whether during the campaigning period or otherwise.

"The issue of being grateful does not arise at all."